Rocket Science
by Forward Unto Dawn
Summary: Sequel to "Basic Science". RVB/Portal crossover. Caboose waited, and Church finally came for him.


A myriad of tiny cameras continuously swivelled and adjusted themselves, their multi-faceted eyes capturing even the slightest trace of movement in the testing facilities of the Aperture Science Enrichment Centre. Usually, the centre's guardian, GLaDOS, would simultaneously survey each and every one of them. Today, however, she had one particularly important matter to focus on. She carefully selected a single camera feed, and gave it her full undivided attention. The electronic eye observed a section of test chamber sixteen, the location of her current test subject.

GLaDOS had to admit, the subject was certainly... interesting. When he had first arrived, he had been exceptionally optimistic, almost unbelievably so, and eager to complete the tests she had planned. His attitude much reminded her of a young child, excited to see and experience new things. She had taken a liking to him almost immediately.

Problems had arisen, however, after the subject passed the first few test chambers. His rate of progress had slowed considerably, even come to a complete stop at several points. On multiple occasions, GLaDOS had even been forced to _guide_ him through the chambers _herself_, giving him directions and, naturally, luring him with (false) promises. She had begun to grow irate with him at this point, and soon came to the conclusion that his intellect was severely lacking, perhaps influenced by some traumatic or influential event in his past.

In layman's terms, as she told him, _he was a fucking idiot_.

---

Caboose pressed his back against the wall, and heavily sucked in grateful breaths of air. He slid slowly down into a sitting position, letting his cube friend fall onto his lap. He rested his forehead against the cool metal of the cube, his body still quivering and a few stray tears dripping from his cheeks.

The last test had been very scary. The chamber had been filled with what appeared to be smaller, nastier versions of the computer lady. Oh, they were friendly enough when they spoke, just like she was at first, greeting him with a "hello" or a "can I help you?" – but when he got closer, they _shot_ at him, fired bright red beams of energy that, when they hit him, felt like he had just shoved his hand in a toaster. He had decided that he was much better off avoiding them, like the Red Team from—

_From back home in Blood Gulch_.

Caboose squeezed his eyes shut as fresh tears began to fall, pooling on the top of the cube. He tried not to think about home, because home meant the warm, open canyon, home meant fresh air and sky, but mostly because home meant Church. Church who used to protect and shelter him, and tell him how truly special he was, how they were best friends and nothing would ever separate them.

For a long time, Caboose had held out hope that Church was going to come and save him, take him away from this horrible place. But so much time had passed – months, the computer lady told him – and Church still hadn't come. Maybe he though Caboose was dead. Maybe he didn't know where to look. There had to be a reason, whatever it was. Church wouldn't just leave him.

With a renewed sense of hope and determination, Caboose got to his feet, gathered up his cube and gun, and continued toward the next room.

---

GLaDOS carefully followed the subject's movements through the test chamber, somewhat puzzled by his approach to it. After his initial encounter with the sentry turrets, and his subsequent painful discovery of their capabilities, he had taken to hiding in corners and skirting around walls, avoiding the turrets wherever possible.

What had mystified her the most, however, was the way he protected the Weighted Companion Cube. She watched curiously as he sprinted past the final turret, clutching the cube close and shielding it from the laser fire with his own body. She had seen subjects become attached to the Cube before – they almost always did – but never like this. The subject's actions were irregular, and this confused her.

As the subject stepped and into the elevator at the end of the chamber, still clinging to his cube as tightly as ever, she diverted her attention to a different security camera, displaying the entrance to test chamber seventeen.

The emotional strain placed on the subject in this test would prove most interesting, she thought, as she waited for the elevator to arrive.

---

Caboose lay on his stomach, hands over his head, as the glowing ball of light hummed through the air above him. Only once the ball had safely disappeared into the catching device mounted on the wall did he dare move. Retrieving his cube friend from the button it had so helpfully been pressing down, he returned to the centre of the chamber. There, another platform had slid into position, revealing the path to the next testing area.

Caboose felt he was becoming quite good at working his magic gun now. He placed the orange circle on the wall next to him, and the blue one on the roof near the newly-revealed platform. Though he had gotten used to the way the portals worked, the odd shuddering sensation when he walked though them still unnerved him. Church wouldn't have been afraid, though, and Caboose wanted to be strong like him, so he shut his eyes and jumped.

Once he felt a firm surface under his feet again, Caboose straightened up and opened his eyes. Before him, there were two more platforms like the one he now stood on, and past them, a door in the wall leading onward. With a deep breath, and the reassuring weight of his cube in his arms, Caboose moved forward to the next section of the chamber.

"_You did it!_" the computer lady's voice congratulated him. "_The Weighted Companion Cube certainly brought you good luck._"

Caboose looked down at his cube and smiled – his first smile in what seemed like forever. He may not have had Church with him, but he had the cube, which reminded him of everything that Church was. The cube which had helped him, guided him, given him strength, constantly reminded him that Church _was_ coming to save him—

"_However, it cannot accompany you for the rest of the test and unfortunately, must be euthanized._"


End file.
